


Meinichi

by LibertinePast



Series: The Backyard [4]
Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Regret, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:28:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibertinePast/pseuds/LibertinePast
Summary: November rain and flipping the script on a painful calendar date.
Relationships: Daniel LaRusso/Johnny Lawrence
Series: The Backyard [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756549
Comments: 10
Kudos: 107





	Meinichi

The fact that it’s a few days after Veteran’s Day always gives it an extra sting, and the declining weather in the Valley never helps either. The temperature has been in the fifties for a few days.

On the 15th of November, it rains all day. He can hear the wailing guitar outro of that Guns n’ Roses song. 

Today, Daniel sets up the shrine table like always, with fruit, candles and little mementos.

Alone, Johnny lays his black headband across the white lotus one on the shrine. “Thanks for the busted windows, Sensei," he says. "And your handiwork with the kid. Like, you _could've_ tried a little harder to break him of certain habits, like yapping while people are trying to sleep, but...other than that, he's decent."

The shoji screen of the studio is open and Daniel just stands there, watching it pour.

It always rains on the anniversary of Mr. Miyagi’s death. His _Meinichi._

Daniel had always expected Mr. Miyagi to make the ground tremble with his final words of wisdom. He’d imagined a resonating final gesture, one that would furl the scroll of his life perfectly to completion.

He had rallied for a few days, had an appetite again, and was about to settle down for a nap. _“What was answer to Jumble….?”_ he yawned.

_“Oh, I see how it is. After I did the last three scrambles for you, ya’ big cheat.”_

Daniel went to get the newspaper in the other room. His eyes were fixed on it as he strolled back in slowly. " _OK._.. _‘the young flatfish were just learning to swim and were:’……. Oh, floundering! A couple of old anglers like us shoulda figured that out, right?”_

When he looked up, Mr. Miyagi was motionless, his eyes fixed on whatever stretched out before him above.

Daniel wants to remember glass hitting the floor, shattering with the acoustics of a cathedral, but it was just the ‘thop’ of a rolled up newspaper.

Even though he’d held on for three whole months in hospice--days full of beautiful memories--that completely throwaway, incomplete final moment shattered Daniel to his core.

Johnny's solid arms are wrapped around him from behind as they watch the rain from the door frame.

“The whole time he was in hospice I acted like we were just on a trip or something,” Daniel agonizes with a sniff, like he’s done every year since 2011.

“You were trying to be strong for him, man. There’s no perfect way for these things to go. Death isn’t always like a movie scene.”

“Except in Okinawa, I guess. I’d love to take you someday.”

Johnny wants to see it, but he’s not sure a sixteen-hour flight together will end well, i.e., the rambling questions when he’s half-asleep.

“Do you remember the last thing you said to your mom in the hospital?” Daniel asks.

“...Probably something like, ‘you want me to bring some wine in a coffee cup tomorrow’. But I don’t beat myself up for it. She knew I loved her. That’s why I was bringing the booze, obviously.”

Daniel holds Johnny’s hands that are braced around him. “It’s the little things, right?”

Johnny presses his lips briefly into the back of Daniel’s neck. “And the big. You named your kid _Antonio Nariyoshi_ , for God’s sake. That's like PB and toothpaste. He _knew_ how you felt about him.”

Johnny kisses his neck again and can feel Daniel’s smile in the muscles there, though it fades. “...Johnny, if anything ever happened to you, I--”

“Shh, shh. It won’t. You make me take those magic supplements. Gonna live forever.”

“Please don’t let me ever take you for granted.” 

“Alright. I’ll be sure to lay it on thick like a girl if you do.”

“By all means, drill it into my skull. I’m so naive and blind when it really counts.”

“Nah. When we were in that elevator, you could’ve just said nothing and walked out. That’s what I was gonna do, 'til you grabbed my hand...I mean, who does that, but... here we are...” 

Daniel didn’t feel completely responsible for it--it was like an out-of-body experience. He often wonders if it was Mr. Miyagi clasping their stubborn hands, just like his father had done in Tomi Village. Not that the younger Miyagi and Sato ever ended up sharing a bed.

“I’m lucky you didn’t punch me.” 

“What can I say, the hard-on won out.” 

“Uh?? I think I would’ve noticed that?” Daniel snorts.

“It wasn’t a full salute, just a little chubby.” 

“Yeah, ok, by the bottom floor I probably had some growth too. When your thumb started goin’ across my hand.” 

Johnny lifts him a little off the ground from behind. “Oooh, Billy Squier was right. Stroke’s the word.”

They watch the ripples in the balance pond, the mud accumulating under the punching bag. There’ll be a lot of maintenance to do tomorrow, not that it bothers them much. Johnny falls into a little “inseparable yardwork” daydreaming. Daniel’s shorts, Johnny’s zipper hoodie with nothing underneath, and what usually happens when those forces collide. Miracles, really: Johnny calling Daniel by his name, and Daniel losing words altogether.

“LaRusso, I don’t get you sometimes.” 

“ _Sometimes?_ ” Daniel snickers.

“....You’re always so worried about dishonoring him, but you don’t care about us fucking in his house?” 

“To be fair, we’re usually outside...” 

“You know what I mean.” 

“All he ever wanted was for me to be happy. And I am. And we don’t ‘fuck," he says with animated quote fingers. "I mean, it does sound like we're defilin' the place when you say it like _that_."

“Oh, God, please don’t say ‘intertwining souls’ or some shit like the yoga ladies.” 

“Call me the yoga lady, then. I happen to find it very, uh....spiritual.” 

“You should go dance in the rain.” 

"Not a bad idea, really...maybe the only way to get it to stop raining every year on Mr. Miyagi’s _Meinichi_ is to just roll with it,” Daniel shrugs.

“Then come on. We’re doing wet kata.”

Daniel laughs as Johnny kicks his Vans off and runs for the wet grass. Daniel knows right away from the turn of his hips that he’s easing into the Seipei form, but as usual, Johnny’s smooth, poetic flow makes Daniel a little dizzy at first. Johnny was born to move like this, in kata and as a lover. He was born to touch this hallowed ground.

Eight years later, closure comes.

They move in perfect sync, even with soaked skin and clothes, until Johnny sees Daniel’s teeth begin to chatter and he pulls him into his shirt. The feeling of Daniel laughing into the embrace draws the words right out of Johnny’s chest. “....I-I don’t want to steal Miyagi’s day but I love you.”

Daniel closes his eyes and thinks the rain might be rising off him in steam. He exhales years of pent-up breath. He can think of dozens of times he’s wanted to say the words—certain nights on the wheel, or in the "spiritual" afterglow, or poison oak night at the hospital. He never thought Johnny would strike first in _this_ arena, but now he can't picture it any other way. “Love you too,” he sighs into his skin, the date that was empty now overflowing.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
